The holiday season can be a stressful time for everyone, but especially so for young LGBTQ Hoosiers.
Richard Brandon-Friedman is a professor of social work at Indiana University who specializes in working with LGBTQ youth. He said that while many people think anti-LGBT discrimination is a thing of the past, it is still alive and well in some Indiana households.
“I still work with a lot of LGBT youth that do experience family rejection, and that can range from active harassment of the youth in terms of name calling and slurs all the way to ‘you’re not welcome at home,’” he said.
Other forms of familial rejection can include using inaccurate names and pronouns, not recognizing or welcoming LGBTQ partners, and isolating LGBTQ youth from supportive spaces in their community or school.
Brandon-Friedman said this kind of rejection can have serious mental health consequences, and it’s important for families of LGBTQ kids to consider how to support them in tricky familial situations.
“A lot of families are faced with the question of, do I go to this family event where I know the youth’s uncle is going to be very trans negative, and do I subject my youth to that?” he said. “Or do I deal with the isolation and sometimes the wrath of family for not going to that?”
Supportive actions from family members can include standing up for their kids in social situations, supporting their loved one’s LGBTQ friends and partners, and educating themselves about LGBTQ issues.
According to research from the Trevor Project, an increase of just one supportive action from parents and caregivers was associated with 6% lower odds of a suicide attempt in the past year.
Brandon-Friedman said while these conversations can be difficult, they can help prevent depression and anxiety during otherwise joyous celebrations.
